Faucet valve operator



Jan. 20, 1942. H AN 2,270,239

FAUCET VALVE OEERATOR Filed June 20, 1940 K C'usilman' Patented Jan. 20,1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,270,239 FAUCET VALVE OPERATOR Jack F.Cushman, Kansas City, Mo. Application June 20, 1940, Serial No. 341,583

4 Claims. (Cl., 4-166) This inventionrelates to an improved, sanitaryoperator for faucet valves and more particularly to an operator adaptedto be actuated by means of a foot pedal to replace the conventionalhandle or knob conventionally used for opening and closing the valve ofa faucet.

This invention is especially designed and adapted for use on faucets ofwash bowls of barber shops and beauty parlors to provide a sanitarydevice by means of which such faucets may be turned on and off withoutbeing touched by the hand of the operator or attendant to eliminate thedanger of germs being transmitted from one customer to another by theoperator touching the handle or knob of the faucet.

More particularly, it is an aim of the invention to provide a device ofsimple construction which may be readily applied to a wash bowl andattached to the faucet spindle after the conventional handle or knob hasbeen removed which is provided with a foot pedal for turning on thefaucet and spring means for turning off the faucet when the pressure onthe foot pedal is removed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, whichillustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing the invention attached to aconventional wash basin and to a faucet thereof, the closure or casingof the invention being shown broken away to show the parts disposedtherewithin.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, partly i elevation of the same,

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the planeof the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a plan view showing one of the elements of the device indetail, and

Figure 5 is an end view in elevation of the part shown in Figure 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like referencecharacters designate like orcorresponding parts throughout the differentviews, Ill designates generally a portion of a conventional wash basinprovided with a faucet having a faucet valve spindle 12 which extendsoutwardly from a side of the faucet l and which is adapted to be turnedin one direction for opening the faucet valve, not shown, and in theopposite direction for closing the faucet valve. These parts are ofconventional construction and are shown merely to illustrate theapplication of the faucet valve operator, designated generally l3, andcomprising the invention.

The invention, designated generally I3, includes a hollow stem l4, bestseen in Figure 4, which is provided at one end thereof with a clampingring in the form of a split ring l5 having a threaded screw I6 forengaging the apertures ofthe ears ll thereof. The aperture of the earwhich is remotely disposed relatively to the head of the screw I6 isprovided with threads, not shown, for threaded engagement with the shankof the screw l6 for contracting the ring l5.

The stem I4 is secured to the outer end of the spindle l2 by the splitclamping ring l5. A lever I8 is secured to the stem l4, intermediate ofits ends, by means of a set screw I3 which extends into one of theindentations or openings 20 which are formed in the stem l4,intermediate of its ends. The lever |8, which is disposed over the rim2| of the wash bowl l0, includes an arm 22 which extends upwardly andrearwardly from the stem l4 and an arcuately shaped, substantiallysemi-circular head 23 which is disposed on the opposite side of the steml4 and in substantially diametrically opposed relationship to the arm22.

A tube 24, formed of the telescoping sections 25 and 26, which are heldin adjusted positions relatively to each other by means of a set screw21, is provided with an externally threaded upper end 28, which formsthe outer end of the section 25, and which extends through an opening 29in the rim 2| to position the upper end of the tube 24 substantiallybeneath the free end of the arm 22. The threaded end 28 carries a pairof nuts 30 which are disposed on opposite sidesof the rim 2| and agasket 3| which is disposed between the upper side of the rim 2| and theupper nut 30. The underside of the gasket 3| is preferably shaped to fiton the rim 2|, as seen in Figure 1. The nuts 30, as best illustrated inFigure 2, are positioned a sufiicient distance apart so that the tube 24may be swung outwardly toward the outer edge of the wash bowl l0 afterwhich the sections 25 and 26 are extended relatively to each other untilthe lower end of the section 26 engages the floor or supporting surface,indicated by the line 32. Set screw 21 is then tightened to hold thetube 24 in the position, as illustrated in Figure 2, relatively to thewash bowl I0 and to the floor 32.

The arm 22 is provided with a bifurcated free end in the furcations ofwhich are mounted the ends of a pin 33 to which is secured one end of aflexible cable 34. An elongated head 35, which is circular in crosssection and which is of a diameter substantially less than the diameterof the bore of the section 26, is mounted in the lower end of saidsection and is provided with diametrically opposed outwardly projectingribs 36 which are slidably mounted in diametrically opposed grooves 31in the tubular section 26. Cable 34 extends downwardly through the tube24 and has its opposite end disposed in the longitudinal bore 38 of thehead 35 and is secured thereto by a set screw 39 by means of which thehead 35 may be adjustably connected to the cable 34. Head 35 is providedwith a shank 40 which is disposed substantially at right angles to theribs 36 and which extends outwardly through an elongated slot 41 in thelower end of the section 26. Shank 40 is provided with a bifurcated freeend to receive the restricted end 42 of a foot pedal 43. The restrictedend 42 is connected to the bifurcated end of the shank 49 by means of apivot pin 44. The pedal 43 extends outwardly and downwardly from theshank 40 and has its free end resting on the floor 32.

The outer edge of the arcuately shaped head 23 is provided with a groove45 in which is disposed a portion of a contractile coil spring 46, oneend of which is secured by a fastening 47 in the groove 45, adjacent itsupper end. The opposite end of the spring 45 is anchored in an opening48 in the gasket 3|.

The lever 18 and the spring 45 are enclosed in a casing 49 whichincludes the spaced side walls 50 having inturned ears to which isattached a-cover 52, by means of fastenings 53. The stem I4 is journaledin the casing 49.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the foot pedal 43 isdepressed by a downward pressure thereon its secured end will pivot onpin 44 and its free end will pivot and slide on the surface 32 to movethe head 35 downwardly to impart a downward pull on the cable 34 toswing the arm 22 downwardly in a counterclockwise direction to therebyturn the stem I4 and the spindle l2 in a counterclockwise direction, asseen in Figures 1 and 2, to open the valve, not shown, of the faucet l lto thereby turn on the faucet. As long as pressure is maintained on thepedal 43 the faucet will remain open. When this pressure on pedal 43 isreleased the contractile spring 46 will react to turn the lever I8,spindle l2 and stem. [4 in a clockwise direction to thereby close thefaucet valve to shut off the faucet II. This counterclockwise movementof the parts will also return the head 35 and the pedal 43 to thepositions, as best seen in Figure 2.

It is to be understood, that each of the faucets of a wash bowl may beprovided with an operator l3.

Various modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement ofthe parts forming the invention are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to as only a preferred embodiment thereof has been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A faucet valve actuator comprising a stem connected to a faucetspindle, an arm fixed to and projecting from said stem, a cableconnected at one end to said arm, a treadle having one end resting on asupporting surface and its opposite end projecting upwardly therefrom atan oblique angle thereto, the opposite end of said cable being connectedto the elevated end of the treadle, said treadle being depressible torock said arm to turn the stem of the faucet spindle in one directionfor opening the faucet valve, a contractile spring for turning the armin the opposite direction for closing the faucet valve, a pipe securedat one end in an opening of a wash basin and extending downwardlytherefrom, said treadle being provided with a head, on its elevated end,slidably mounted in said pipe adjacent its lower end, and said headbeing provided with means for detachably and adjustably connecting it tosaid cable.

2. In a faucet operator, a stem having clamping means in one end thereoffor attachment to a faucet valve spindle, a lever keyed to said stem andprovided with an extension arm and an arcuately shaped head having agrooved outer edge, said arm and head being disposed on opposite sidesof the stem, a tube adapted to be secured at one end in an opening in awash basin and beneath said lever, said tube extending downwardly at anoblique angle to the wash basin and having its opposite end resting on asupporting surface disposed therebeneath, a foot pedal having a headportion slidably mounted in the lower end of said tube, said tube beingprovided with a slot to slidably receive a restricted portion of thepedal, said pedal being pivotally connected to its head portion andprojecting outwardly and downwardly therefrom with the free end thereofresting on the supporting surface, a flexible member having one endconnected to the free end of the extension arm of said lever, saidflexible member extending through said tube, and means on said headportion for adjustably connecting the opposite end of said flexiblemember thereto, said pedal being depressible for moving its head portiondownwardly for turning the lever in one direction to actuate the valvespindle for opening the faucet, and spring means connected to saidarcuately shaped head and partially disposed in its groove for turningthe lever in the opposite direction for closing the faucet.

3. A device as in claim 2, said tube being formed of telescoping,adjustably connected sections, the upper end of the upper section beingexternally threaded, fastening means carried by said threaded end fordetachably securing the tube to the wash basin, a gasket disposedbetween one of the elements of the fastening means and the upper side ofthe basin carried by the tube,

and one end of said spring means being anchored JACK F. CUSHIMAN.

